A Chat With Rigby Adventurer And Safari Legend, John Sharp

[RIGBY]

John Sharp is a safari hunting legend and Rigby adventurer who lives in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe. Sharp’s affinity for classic rifles, particularly his 1927 .470 Rigby double, mirrors his considered approach to hunting and his experiences with dangerous game like buffalo have made him a sought-after storyteller. We chatted to John to learn where his passion for African hunting came from and how his spirit reflects the Rigby ethos.

Can you share your first memory of hunting? What sparked your passion for the sport?

I was raised on a farm in the Free State in South Africa. It was hot in summer but absolutely freezing in winter, with an icy wind that chilled to the bone. My Mum home schooled me until morning teatime then I made my escape into the bush, barefoot and uncaring. I had an old Daisy pump air rifle, and I shot doves, made a fire and grilled them over the hot coals. Later my Dad gave me a .22 and I was permitted to hunt a variety of very small mammals.

One of the highlights of every year was when my Dad invited the neighbours over to our farm to cull a small number of springbok for biltong. On two occasions, two only, so I must have done something that deserved a reward, he allowed me to shoot a springbok.

What led you to pursue an apprenticeship as a professional hunter in the late ’70s?

My Dad sold the farm and moved the family to Cape Town, and we three boys were enrolled in an upmarket private school there. City life was confusing and not for me. For a long time, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to pursue; what I did know was that I desperately wanted it to be outdoors and working with wildlife.

I had read many of the old East African hunting books, but when hunting was banned in Kenya during the early 70s, I assumed the safari industry had ended. But then in 1976 I was invited on a month-long trip to Rhodesia, and while there I met Ray Torr who owned the Lion and Elephant Motel in the lowveld. He told me that there had been a budding safari industry in the country prior to the start of the bush war, and he assured me that once the war was over the industry would resume. Of course, we had no idea how long the war would go on, but he offered me an apprenticeship. And that was when I felt my dreams crystallise, and the future became clear.

You’ve hunted across various African countries. What has drawn you to stay in Zimbabwe, particularly the Bubye Valley Conservancy, after all these years?

With the exception of Tanzania, the game in most of the other Southern African countries had been sadly depleted by uncontrolled poaching and or civil war, whereas Zimbabwe was a wildlife paradise. Tanzania consists mostly of Miombo forests and open grasslands – not my favourite hunting ground – but I absolutely love the bushveld in Zim as it offers the chance to stalk and get closer to the quarry, and the hunting is exciting. So, it was an easy decision to make this country my home.

Is there a particular hunt that remains etched in your memory as the most unforgettable?

I took an American client on a buffalo hunt, and he wounded the bull. It was one of three. On their tracks, a twitching wind in thick bush had all three charging in our direction. Initially we couldn’t identify which was the wounded one, but they started breaking to our left, and when the third one was dead ahead, he suddenly wheeled and charged straight at us. Still worrying which might be the wounded one I foolishly fired, realising in that very moment I didn’t have enough time to re-load. I stood my ground hoping I could re-load in time for him to run into the end of the barrel. Still charging, the bull made a ninety degree turn away from me when his boss was less than a pace from my chest – it seems his nerve broke before mine. By this time, I’d realised this was indeed the wounded one and I managed to drop him a few metres into his flight.

This was the near fatal incident that convinced me I had to have a double rifle. (This was a compelling story, and it appears in my book Facing Down Fear).

How did you first get introduced to Rigby rifles, and what made you choose the .470 double rifle as your companion?

For many years I had tried to convince a very wealthy German client of mine to replace his collection of Austrian double rifles with old English investment doubles. After I finally succeeded, his ego was so puffed up with the praise he received that he insisted on buying a double for me. From the books I’d read I had long before decided that if I ever managed to acquire a double I would opt for a .470, whatever make it might turn out to be, though a Rigby would have been my choice had I been able to afford it. David Winks of Holland and Holland informed the German that he had ‘the best working double’ that had ever passed through his hands – a top of the range Rigby, and definitely the cherry on the cake.

What makes your Rigby .470 so irreplaceable in the field?

My Rigby fits like it was specifically made for me and over the years it has become a part of me, body and soul.

I have been very blessed to have developed the fortitude to be able to wait until the very last moment before firing at an incoming danger, and there have been many, but I’ve always been able to stop them with the first shot. Having a second shot ready to go, should it be required, has imbued in me a great sense of peace.

I recall an Italian client grazing the brisket of a lone buffalo standing broadside. The bull charged instantly, and the client was still trying to work the bolt on his rifle when I stepped forward and dropped the bull only a metre in front of us with a single shot. Having my second shot always ready to go is a situation changer.

As a Rigby adventurer, how do you feel your approach to hunting embodies the spirit of Rigby?

I am an old school hunter, believing in fair chase ethical hunting on foot. Plus, an old fashioned walking hunt delivers such a rich experience, high emotion, and strong memories that will remain in the mind always. This seems to me to be the essence of a hunt.

Like many of the old East African PHs of days gone by, I will follow the blood trail of a wounded, dangerous animal on foot, wherever it may go, until it is found and dispatched. I believe this is the moral and ethically correct way.

Do you have any exciting plans for 2025 that you’re looking forward to?

I have three entries in for the current Rigby Dagga Boy Award and am looking forward to the outcome. I’m always excited to take a client out into the bush; every hunt is a unique adventure, but I particularly enjoy convincing my buffalo clients that old age is vastly preferable to spread.

Do you have any advice you would give to aspiring hunters today who are looking to follow in your footsteps?

Two things: firstly, PHs get killed, and badly hurt. I would advise youngsters to never stop learning, never be overconfident, always be perfecting their techniques. And secondly, this game is about sending a client home with an unforgettable experience. If the focus is on how much money you’re going to make, then you’re sorely missing the whole point of a safari.

They both come down to passion.

If you had to pick one area or landscape to spend the rest of your hunting days, where would it be and why?

Unspoilt bush is simply unbeatable.

Are there any species left on your personal bucket list that you haven’t hunted yet but hope to?

I’ve never had such a wish list. My joy comes from making other people’s dreams come true.

 

[flying sailor]

This is a wonderful read. I could feel the excitement in the close call. It is obvious Mr. Sharp has a passion for his occupation.